


in which Opal likes to be tall

by swordandpen



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-13 08:04:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15359940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swordandpen/pseuds/swordandpen
Summary: Opal fights a tree and pretty much wins. The whole situation is a parade of bad ideas.





	1. Chapter 1

Opal tore through 300 Fox way like a gale. This was not much different than regular life for those who lived there, but Opal’s small stature made her a bit harder to see coming. 

Blue was amazed sometimes that Maura let Opal keep visiting. But Maura had a soft spot for weird kids, Jimi thought Opal was cute since she wasn't responsible for her, and Orla and Calla couldn't do much. So, Opal was visiting while Ronan went to out of town for a week. Blue found Maura slouching at the kitchen table over a cup of tea. (The tea smelled like some mix of lemon, pine, and mold). 

Maura looked up at Blue. “I thought you were a lot when you were that small. What have they been feeding that kid, coffee beans coated in sugar?”

“What can I say, you were very lucky to have me. And, as far as I can tell she mostly eats sticks.”

“I was very lucky, y’know,” Maura said sincerely.

Blue busied herself getting a yogurt from the fridge, with an embarrassed smile. 

-

After a few minutes, Blue realized something. “Should we be worried about Opal being in the yard alone? She’s fine at the Barns apparently, but we do have some neighbors.”

“Naw,” Maura said while examining her tea. “Gwenllian’s out there.”

Blue looked at Maura as she realized what she’d just said. Maura raised her head to look back at Blue. Silently, they both nodded and, with a clatter, rushed out to the yard.


	2. Chapter 2

When Opal got outside, she stopped suddenly just before the trees at the edge of the yard. She peered up at them with a squint. She liked the needly ones, but when she grabbed a low branch and swung from it she was disappointed. The branch bent so much her feet scraped the ground, and it left sticky sap all over her hands. She wiped her hands on her dress, which failed, so she rubbed her hands in the moist dirt instead. She wandered over to the grand old beech tree. Jumping to reach the lowest branch was impossible, despite several attempts. Kicking the trunk didn’t work either. 

But it did get a laugh out of the tall woman with miles of dark hair, who came out from behind the shed. (It didn’t occur to Opal until the next day to actually ask what she had been doing back there, and then she forgot again.) 

Opal thought maybe the woman was laughing at her. She glared ferociously. 

The woman smiled, a sharp smile that reminded Opal of Kerah. “You are a very ambitious creature, aren’t you?”

At Opal’s narrowed eyes she smiled a bit wider. “Good for you. May I join this effort? This tree ought to be attacked more often.”

Opal didn’t run away, so Gwenllian reached down and made a shelf of one arm. Opal sat and Gwenllian lifted her. The goat-girl squawked at leaving the ground so quickly.

“Hush,” Gwenllian said. “I will release you soon.” She lifted Opal above her storm-cloud head and placed her own the third branch up. Opal sidled a few feet away, to curl against the trunk, and then grinned with a lot of teeth. She grabbed a twig and began gnawing with it still attached to the rest of the tree.

 

-

Blue and Maura stumbled to a stop just outside the door. They stared at where Opal lounged several feet off the ground. She was industriously removing leaves from the nearest branch with her teeth. 

Blue’s face tried to convey annoyance, confusion, and worry for Opal at the same time. It settled on a scowl. She walked closer to Opal as if to catch her, and Maura followed. 

“Can she climb?” Maura asked. “With those hooves?” 

Blue felt sure Ronan and Adam would have complained about it if Opal could climb easily. Her suspicions rose and she looked around the yard. Her scowl was then directed at Gwenllian, who was picking blackberries on the other side of the yard. 

She marched over. Maura stayed behind trying to coax Opal down to relative safety. 

“You probably put her up there, so now you have to help get her down! What were you thinking?”

Gwenllian smiled and stood. Blue sighed. “Actually, I don’t want to know. Just help her get out of the tree.” 

“Little girls wish they were tall, and so do little dream creatures,” Gwenllian lilted. Blue’s scowl became a grimace, and she turned away letting Gwenllian follow. 

Maura’s attempts to coax Opal down had backfired. The girl was comfortable with her presence since the last few visits, but she seemed to think it fun to pull herself up a couple branches higher while sticking her tongue out at Maura. 

“I thought I was free of this kind of thing,” she said to Blue with a tired look. Blue chose not to respond. Opal looked precarious. Gwenllian just looked amused as she went to stand below Opal, arms out and slightly raised.

Opal looked down imperiously at Gwenllian and shook her head. Maura sighed. 

“If you get down from there now, you can eat as many frozen waffles as you want for dinner,” said Maura.

“Mom, are you sure bribery is more respectful than ordering children around?”

“I’m sure it’s more effective, plus she’s not a regular child. And if she gets spoiled it’s not really my problem.”

“Why couldn’t you have been more like this when I was a kid? Hey, Opal, did you hear you get waffles if you let Gwenllian get you down from there?”

“You were too stubborn for bribery, and you’re still a kid.”

“Mom.”

They were both distracted from that discussion when a branch creaked sharply. Opal had stood up, one hand on the branch above her head. She looked down uncertainly at Gwenllian. Gwenllian’s own expression was as aloof as Opal’s was, and she stood with an air of authority. Her arms made a sort of net in front of her. 

Gwenllian counted. “Un… daw …” Opal took a breath - “Teir!” And Opal fell into Gwenllian’s arms, her legs kicking Gwenllian’s ribcage briefly. Gwenllian seemed unperturbed by the likely-painful impact and set Opal on the ground. The girl ran inside and vanished. A clatter came from the general location of the kitchen. Blue slumped, Maura sighed again, and Gwenllian laughed. All three of the women ambled inside for dinner.

**Author's Note:**

> this is kind of mean to Artemus considering I don't even particularly dislike him. He's very sympathetic in some ways. But he's also... in that tree when this happens.


End file.
